Page 104 of Twisted Lies

‘I assume the two of you weren’t close,’ Kim said, returning to the reason for their visit. Whether Mona chose to ring in late or not, Kim wasn’t leaving until she’d asked her questions.

Mona’s eyebrows drew together. ‘Why would we be close? She was doing a job. Providing a service. I was no closer to her than I am to the bin man.’

Kim realised she didn’t need to rely on what Mona had done in the past to fuel her dislike. There was plenty to focus on in the present.

In her experience, shared secrets drew people together, especially if she had chosen to share nothing of her past with her husband. But not here.

Perhaps sensing her displeasure, the woman offered a qualifier, as though trying to retract her coldness towards the death.

‘Admittedly, she was better than the last one, okay. She knew her job and only bothered me when necessary. I didn’t always take her advice, but it was well meaning and—’

‘What kind of advice? Was there a specific threat against you?’

Mona shook her head and glanced again at her watch.

‘Look, they do spot checks on you. They tail you for a day and watch your every move. I suppose it’s kind of like an audit to make sure you’re still taking the necessary precautions, that you haven’t become complacent. Then they advise you, tell you that you’re not varying your route to certain places enough or that you didn’t lock your door or spent too long talking to a stranger or that you walked along a road that was deserted or not covered by CCTV. It’s like a regular risk assessment. She knew her stuff but wasn’t intrusive.’

‘Had she mentioned anything to you about strange occurrences, being followed or…’

‘Am I at risk, Officer?’ she asked plainly. Any thought for Sarah had been replaced by all thoughts for herself.

‘That’s actually what we’re trying to find out,’ Kim snapped.

Mona’s expression changed, as though she wasn’t used to being snapped at. She was clearly the queen of the world she’d constructed. Kim was struck by the fact that she viewed herself as an asset, much like a celebrity would do. She was the focus of the protection and the minions should remember that rather than the fact these people were being paid to keep her alive.

‘I think you should leave,’ Mona said, opening the door.

Kim realised that she knew nothing more than when she’d walked in the door.

But there was something she’d said earlier that came back to Kim.

‘You said Sarah was better than the last one. What did you mean?’

Mona sighed with impatience.

‘There are officers that are more forceful than others. As I said before, Sarah carried out her audits and offered advice and suggestions. The last one threatened me with expulsion if I didn’t remove a couple of harmless photos from my social media account.’

In this age of facial recognition, Kim could understand the officer’s concern. Just one piece of information or data and the whole thing could unravel.

‘I was wearing a hat and glasses so there was no real issue, but I was very rudely reminded of the rules.’

Kim understood the frustration in trying to keep someone safe when they cared less about doing it for themselves.

‘And this officer reprimanded you?’ Kim said, understanding why that particular officer was now in the past.

‘Oh, yes, but she soon understood you don’t mess—’

‘She?’ Kim asked.

‘Oh yes, the one before Sarah was a class A bitch. No, I didn’t like Leanne at all.’

Eighty-Eight

‘Starting to feel a bit like a maze, this one?’ Stacey said as an email pinged her inbox.

She’d asked DI Lynes for the phone records of Dennis Burke, and he’d sent them through straight away.

‘I kind of get her though,’ Penn said, staring over her head.